Right Our Wrongs
by GeorgiaGirl1331
Summary: Stefan chose to leave them. Elena decided to admit her feelings. Damon had to save Stefan.
1. Chapter 1

He opens the door and they are finally face to face.

She remembers the first time she met him all over again.

Except then he was a jerk and she kind of didn't like or trust him. Even for being an alive dead person he always looked good, and now he looks like death. Everything about him is off, and he's disheveled. He's worn out and tired.

"Elena?" He has to stop himself from getting lost in those doe eyes of hers.

"Hello, Damon." She has to stop herself from melting into those artic blue eyes of his.

She tries to find the courage that got her to him in the first place. That extra push that woke her up and made her leave in the middle of the night. The strength that made her pack a bag, leave a note on the fridge, and drive off to find him.

And it's just hard. Because everything that got her here is scaring the hell out of her now.

"How did you find me?"

"Can I come in?" She asks quietly.

"Are you a vampire now?"

"No." He steps away from the door and she's hit in the face with the smell of alcohol as she walks in. But she expected it. He was Damon Salvatore afterall, and he loved his burbon.

"Then I guess you don't need a formal invite." He spits out, walking away from her. He throws himself on the bed. One arm behind his head, and the other across his chest, looking as impatient as ever, waiting for her to tell him why she was here, and how she found him.

Elena closes the door behind her and throws her bags on the couch. She slowly takes a seat at the bottom of the bed and faces him. He doesn't say a word, then again she didn't expect that either. She knew that she would have to be the one to start the conversation.

"It was easy to find you. You couldn't stand to be so close to me so you left, but you still needed to feel close to me. And that's here. In Georgia, at what was Bree's bar, and the hotel we spent the night at. Even the same room. I know you Damon, it was as easy as breathing to find you."

"Your quite full of yourself."

"Your not telling me otherwise."

"Bravo Elena. You can go now." He looks at her and it's more of a glare. There is nothing behind his hypnotic eyes. It scares the hell out of her.

"You know me better than that Damon. You really think I drove all this way just to go home after I found you?"

"I was hoping."

"I thought you didn't hope."

"Your right, memory lapse. Too much burbon I guess."

"It's been seven months Damon."

"I'm aware of that Elena. Either you leave or I leave."

"You already left. You broke your promise. You owe me this."

"I owe you? And what is it that you think I owe you?"

"A chance to figure things out."

"Why?"

"Because. You. Owe. Me." Her voice gets louder, she's angry now. "You broke your promse. You told me you'd never leave me again. Well you did."

She gets off the bed and starts pace back and forth.

"You had Stefan back."

Elena stops and stares at him. He spoke the name that brought them together and broke them apart.

"I listened to you Damon. You asked me to trust you the night of Homecomming. I did, and everyday after that."

"That was over a year ago."

"Whatever you asked of me I did."

"Ditto."

"That maybe so, but I need you to listen to what I have to say. Hear me out. Then I'll leave if you still want me to."

"Fine, but I'm going to need more alcohol."

"No. We do this sober."

"Fine, then I need to get some blood."

He gets off the bed, careful not to get too close to her. He moves to get dressed, avoding all physical contact with her.

"While your out will you pick me up some food and drinks?"

"Why the hell not?"

"I want a burger-"

"No pickles and cherry coke. I know. I remember."

"Your comming back right?" There is no way to hide the fear in her voice and she didn't want to either. If he saw how scared she was maybe it would give him enough incentive to come back.

"I may be a dick Elena, but I won't lie to your face. I'll be back." He adds with a cocky tone, as if she should know this and never question it. He closes the door behind him and she starts to wonder if she waited too long. Was all the damage done beyond repair?

She grabs one of her bags and heads into the bathroom to grab a shower. The hot water pours off her body and closes her eyes and remembers back to when she admitted the feelings she had for Damon out loud.

_The night of Homecomming... (Elena's P.O.V.)_

_Bonnie and I were sitting on the couch, and across from us Tyler and Caroline were cuddled up and looking at each other like no one else was here. Damon, Ric and Jer stood by the fire each with a glass of burbon. They were rehashing all the deadly details of tonight._

_Damon could have died killing Klaus. The white oak dagger could have worked just like the regular dagger dipped in the white ash, killing the person who used it. _

_We got lucky, Damon got lucky. _

_Klaus died by Damons hands. We were all safe from him now, and Stefan had still left. All complusion gone, Stefan still walked away, and here Damon stood. A year ago I would never have believed Stefan would have been the one to leave me. I should have been mourning Stefan. I should have been celebrating Klaus' death. The only thing that mattered was what if Damon had died? That fact was just hitting me now. He still would have done it, for me. As long as Klaus was dead and I was safe his life didn't matter to him. It should have mattered. I needed him. Didn't he understand that? I had to get rid of the smug look on his face, it was making me sick. I walk over to him and slap him across the face as hard as I could. _

_"What the hell Elena?" _

_"You. Could. Have. Died." I choke out, willing the tears in my eyes to go away, and at the least to not fall. Jeremy and Ric give me a confused look before backing away._

_"But I didn't." His reply is cocky and it just makes me that much more mad._

_"Don't you ever do something so stupid again."_

_"So only you can do stupid things?" I did do stupid things, but Damon was always there to save me. It didn't matter how much he hated what I was doing or did, he was always on my side._

_"If you died killing Klaus what would have happened to me?"_

_"You'd be doing this. Minus me." He downs his glass and slams it on the table. He looks at me getting angry and confused. He really didn't know what I was getting at. I find every ounce of strength left in me, and take a deep breath._

_"Your a real son of a bitch you know that? I'd be mourning you. I can't lose you Damon. You are the only constant in my life since you came into it. Annoying me, making me laugh. I'd be dead without you, don't you get that? Your damn ego gets in the way, skrews up, and saves the day. I've lived with losing all of my parents, Jenna, and Stefan. I can't lose one more person, especially not you. So please save me, protect me, just don't be a hero and die for me. I won't survive it." Damon looks at me shocked and speachless, as does the whole room. I look at everyone and they are completely silenced. I finally look back towards Damon. His eyes are sad, the reality of my words hitting him. They were hiiting me too, what was I really confessing? We agreed to let Stefan go. I was letting go the person who I thought was the love of my life, yet here I was holding onto Damon as a life raft. My last life line. The whole situation was skrewed up. I felt like I was breaking and he was the only one who could put me back together. _

_I wasn't sure how long we stood there looking at each other, I only noticed everyone left when I was startled by the font door closing. I walk closer to Damon and cup his face in my hands. _

_"We survied this. We always survive. We always will." I whisper. Affirming the fact-more to him or myself I wasn't sure of-that we were in this together._

_"I won't let you break Elena." He speaks as if he can read my mind. He couldn't read minds, he just knew mine that well. I lean into his chest and he embraces me for the first time. With his strong arms around me a weight was lifted off my shoulder._


	2. Chapter 2

I wanted to thank everyone for the reviews and alerts. I'm so happy that you like it. -Ava

_**4 months after Damon left**_

_"Ric, I'm glad you came."_

_"Sure Elena, what's up?" He slides into the booth and orders a burbon. Damon really had rubbed off on him._

_"Have you heard from Damon?"_

_"Yes and he's still not comming back."_

_"Do you think he will ever come home?" _

_"Honestly, I don't know."_

_"He won't answer my calls." _

_"I know. Can I say something?"_

_"Sure, why not?" I lean back into the booth, preparing myself for what Ric is about to say._

_"Did what Damon tell you that night register at all?"_

_"What night?" _

_"After we came back from the mountains. I hear it Elena, I saw your face." I knew excataly what Ric was refering to. _

_'I want you to remember the things you felt while he was gone.' Those were Damon's exact words. Words I would never forget, not even if I tried._

_"Ric, Stefan needed me.."_

_"And Damon didn't? Christ Elena, look around, everything Damon has done he did for you and it means nothing to you?" Ric was sticking up for Damon, how could I fault him for that?_

_'Thanks for the tip brother.' They were friends. The only real friends each other had. _

_"That's not true. It does." _

_"You know why he won't come home? Because he doesn't want to be around you. Stefan was gone for months and you and Damon slipped into this non-relationship relationship, you threw it out the window when you had the real thing back. Look I'm not trying to make you feel bad, it's not just you it's Stefan too, he killed a girl Damon actually liked. Andie was compelled to keep his secret, to not be afraid, what she felt for him was real. He cared about her. Stefan killed her to prove a point, and that was before Klaus compelled him to turn it off. Damon had to kill Rose, his brother killed Andie, he lost you to Stefan. Damon may be a dick, but I get it. Give him some space." "_

_"Damon was not a replacement."_

_"Could have fooled me, did fool Damon."_

_"It's just...you don't get it Ric."_

_"What don't I get?"_

_"The more human Damon feels, the more human he is, the more I feel for him. Damon has skrewed up eighty percent of the time, but that other twenty percent cancels it all out. I forgive him everytime, and I shouldn't, but I can't hate him. I miss him, and I need him to come home."_

_"It's not going to be that easy."_

_"That's why I'm going after him Ric."_

_"What?" He nearly spits out his drink, and I geniunely smile. It felt good to know I still had something in me that could suprise someone. _

_"I mean that Stefan has been doing great and I'm going to tell him that I can't do this anymore. I shouldn't have let Damon leave."_

_"How are you going to find him?"_

_"I already know where he is."_

_"You do?" He looks baffled, which meant good thing that I knew because Ric obviously didn't._

_"Of course Ric. I know Damon just as well as Damon knows Damon. He won't come here so I'm going to him. It took me longer than it should have to realize everything. I'm going to do it right. And please if you talk to Damon, don't say anything. If he leaves where he is I won't be able to find him, and I think you miss him too even if you won't openly admit it. I still have to tell Stefan, and get there. I need this, and Damon needs me."_

_"I know he does. When are you leaving?"_

_"Tomorrow, and thank you Ric. For everything."_

_But Elena never left._

_Stefan had begged and pleaded with her to stay, telling her she was making a mistake, that he needed her, that Damon would be okay with out her. He called Bonnie and Caroline to try and talk her out of it. They had tried, telling her it wasn't safe, and maybe it would be better if she let Damon go, but it was her choice and they would stand by her, no matter what. _

_Stefan didn't like that. His emotions got out of control and he snapped. Caroline found him before he killed the girl he was currently trying to drain._

_And so Elena stayed. To fix Stefan. It wasn't in her to turn her back on someone she loved. What a contradiction she was, and she was starting to hate herself for it._

_Days turned into weeks and weeks turned into months before she just couldn't handle pretending. She wasn't eating right, and sleep was hard to come by. Stefan had tried to make her happy, he truly did, but he couldn't, not anymore. And Elena being who she was tried for everyone. _

_She just couldn't stay at the Boarding House anymore. Not after everything. So she told Stefan it would just be better for them right now if she spent some time at home. So she packed her bags telling him she needed a few days to herself and left._

_Once she was home in her own bed sleep had finally claimed her. And it was there she saw the eyes that haunted her, and the raven hair. It was then she knew that maybe there was never a choice. She knew what she had to do, and she was going to do it now. She refused to let another minute pass without doing what she needed. Her sanity depended on it._

He walks back in with bags of stuff for her and she's fast asleep. She was probably starving but she most likely drove all night. She was that stubborn once she got something in her head. Just as she knew him, he knew her. She looked so peaceful that he couldn't find it in him to wake her.

As he covers her up he notices that she has lost some weight. He brushes the hair back that has fallen over her face. He could never forget her. She may still belive it's because he chased after her doppleganger for too long, but it's not. Elena is different. Elena is warm, passionate, and caring. She's compassionate and full of love and forgiveness.

Elena is everything Katherine isn't and will never be.

He sits on he couch and just watches her. He really has no idea why she is here.

He knows that she cares, knows that she feels something for him. But she still loved Stefan, and it would always be that way.

Damon would choose Elena and Elena would choose Stefan.

Shouldn't her and Stefan be back in that honeymoon stage of their relationship? He's had enough time to be as normal as someone who fights everything they are. Why Stefan just doesn't accept it and deal with it he will never know.

He wishes that he could tell her while Stefan loves her he loves her better. The way she should be loved. He became better for her, because of her. He would never be too far from her. A simple phone call away if she ever needed him, whenever she needed him. Stefan on the other hand would always inevitably fall off the rails, take percautions and be on gaurd. Stefan would leave her, and she should never trust that he could fully control himself around her because when Stefan is in ripper mode he simply doesn't care.

But he won't hurt her with his harsh words about Stefan. Because it doesn't matter what Stefan did, they both still loved him.

He doesn't want to dwell on it, because Elena found him. Then again, that's what they did. They always find each other, save each other, help each other, and defend each other.

He looks over and notices that she has a huge duffle bag and carry on along with her handbag. Where was she going that she needed all this? She never brought this much when she spent the weekend at the Boarding House. Did she really plan on being there with him that long?

He would get some answers out of her once she woke up. Now he would just relish in the fact she was with him. She remembered and she drove all the way here for him.


	3. Chapter 3

"Well? Are we just going to sit here in silence?"

"No. I'm just not sure where to start."

"You never had a problem saying whatever you wanted before so go ahead Elena purge, spill the beans, let the weight lift off your shoulders."

"Ask me what you've been dying to ask me since you saw me at your door."

"What makes you think I want to ask you anything? Your the one that came here."

"Want to try that again? Ask me."

"I don't-" He pauses as he sees her face. It's pensive and she looks so worn out. He understands that she needs him to ask her, so he gives in, because since when has he been able to deny her? "Why did you come here Elena?" She lets out a sigh of relief and starts to talk.

"I missed you Damon. I never wanted you to leave. And every single minute of the time you were gone I wished you were there."

"I've been gone a long time Elena."

"I know. I tried to come sooner, but I just had so much to handle. My partner in crime wasn't there to help me anymore. I was alone."

"You had Stefan. You couldn't have us both, you still can't." He's bitter and she doesn't blame him.

"I never wanted either of you at the same time untill recently. I fell in love with Stefan and I was in love with him untill he left with Klaus and refused to come back. I got to see how much you did for me and everyone that I thought was just Stefan. I fell in love with you, and even though I had Stefan back I was still in love with you. I don't have a switch Damon. I can't stop loving you. I tried. It didn't work. And don't even try holding the fact that I tired to stop loving you over my head, because I know damn well you did the same. My point is I wanted _you_ while I was with Stefan, I _never_ wanted Stefan while I was with you."

"Why did it take you seven months to come here? You obviously knew where I was."

"I was packed and ready to leave three months ago. When I told Stefan-"

"You told Stefan?" He's almost in shock at her admission.

"Did you think I wouldn't? I'm not Katherine."

"I know that Elena. Give me some credit. I just didn't think that you would risk him getting mad at you for comming to see me."

"It wasn't just that. I went to Stefan to tell him that I needed you. That we couldn't recreate the past. When I told him I was leaving and he went a little crazy. I stayed because I needed to help him get better again. Caroline and Bonnie were worried about me leaving at first, but they understood. I was just so tired of pretending, I just packed whatever I could fit and left. I already wasted too much time."

"And if Stefan loses it again?"

"Then it's on him. I don't want to go back to him. I don't want to go back there with out you. I let you walk away once with out a real fight once, I'm not going to do it again."

"What if I told you you were too late?"

"Am I?" She cautiously asks knowing that she could very well get the answer she fears.

He doesn't answer.

She starts to panic.

_"You have lost me forever." _

Those were her words to him so long ago, and now she wonders if she has lost him forever.

_"Your going to let me go aren't you?_

_"It's the right thing to do." _

_"And we aren't right?"_

_"You only think that because Stefan hasn't been here."_

_"Please Damon."_

_"I want nothing more than to be with you, but I refuse to be selfish with you. You said to me months ago that I would be the one to save Stefan, because he loves me."_

_"I still believe that Damon."_

_"I do too, but I can't bring him back here and be with you. He's in love with you."_

_"And you aren't?"_

_"You, Elena, are the only girl I have ever been so maddingly in love with."_

_"Am I that much of a burden?"_

_"No. You just make everything irrational. You make me irrational. I want to do everything for you, and I can't. I can't be what you want me to be. I never could. I can try and be better than I am, but it's not enough for you."_

_"And Stefan can give me that?"_

_"He did once upon a time."_

_"Once upon a lie. That's what it was. He made it seem like you were the only one with this awful past, and how much of a monster you are. He's the monster Damon. Your going to bring back the monster and turn him back into the Stefan I loved, and I'm going to feel obligated to help him, to keep him that way."_

_"What do you want me to do? Let him go? I can't Elena. You wanted me to feel? Well here it is, I feel Elena. He's my brother I have to save him-I want to save him."_

_"I know that. You should want to. You promised you would never leave me again. We trust each other. No more lies, remember? If you leave that means not only are you breaking a promise, but it means you lied."_

_"Then I guess I'm a liar Elena. I'm sorry. I have to go."_

_"This conversation isn't over. I'll see you when you get home."_

_"I'm bringing Stefan home, but I'm not staying."_

_"No. You don't mean that."_

_"I do Elena. I can't be here."_

_"Where will you go?"_

_"I'll be close enough for when more trouble finds you, as it inevitably does. I will always protect you, but I won't have a front row seat to you and Stefan. You both deserve a real chance at happiness with out me in the way."_

_"Don't do this."_

_"Goodbye Elena."_

_Slam. _

_And with that he was gone._

_As easily as he entered her life he leaves it._

_He leaves her standing in the exact spot she first met him. - _Nostalgia was a bitch.__

_He left the better man. To bring Stefan back. As promised._

_Elena was his kryptonite...he did whatever she needed, asked, and he would never refuse her...untill now._

_He wasn't asking her to choose. _

_He wasn't asking her to run away. _

_Or remember..._

_'I want you to remember the things you felt while he was gone.' _

_She doesn't chase after him. She just lets him go. _

_A part of her hopes that he didn't mean what he was saying. The other part knows he did. Damon. _

_She helped bring Damon back to life, and he was giving it all up to give Stefan his life back._

_Elena was so proud of this Damon. The man he had become. But she missed the selfish impulsive Damon. That Damon would have never let her go. She realizes this too late. _

_'I like you now, just the way you are.'_

_It was true, even more so now. He still drove her crazy, but there was nothing about him she would change. Now she had to hope he already knew it, because she wasn't sure when she would get another chance to say it. _


	4. Chapter 4

_Just wanted to wish everyone a Happy New Year! _

_1 week later_

Elena's worried about Damon. She has been since the day he brought her here to Georgia months and months ago. She saw a different side of him, and ever since then she can't not worry about him. Even when she wants to hate him, tries so hard to be mad at him and never forgive him, she still worries. She can't stand to think how badly it would destroy her if something happened to him.

Sometimes she thinks that it was her destiny to be with Damon, that for her there was never a choice. Because no matter all the bad he's done, she still irevocably loves him.

She was willing to let Stefan go, after less than a few months. And here she is almost a year after Damon walked away still fighting for him. For them.

They are a battle she will never get tired of, never give up on. Unless he gives her a real reason to believe there is nothing to fix.

He never gave her an answer when she asked if she was too late, and she has been dying to ask him the same question he asked her so very long ago.

This whole week Damon had been civil. Elena had made herself at home. She unpacked her things, and went shopping for food and other things they needed. Lucky for her Damon Salvatore always wanted and got the best.

She remembers when they crashed at this hotel for one night. It was beyond extravagant. A huge bed- though not nearly as big as Damon's at home- a big bathroom, a living room and small kitchen area. But now it she was glad it was so big, afterall she wasn't sure how long she would be here.

Every night her and Damon went to bed. They each stayed on their own side. And everytime he thought she had fallen asleep he would brush her hair away from her face, and trace her jawline with his fingers. She felt his eyes on her, and she wanted so badly to open them to see what they were saying about him, but she never does because she knows his walls would automatically go back up.

Those moments at night were what kept her here.

Katherine had thrown herself at Damon numerous times, and every time he turned her down. That was how she knew that Damon was finally over Katherine. He didn't even like her enough to have quick easy sex.

So he couldn't hate her that much, he still touched her, slept with her, practically lived with her.

Damon had come back after a long day of looking for a new blood bank. He couldn't steal from the same place more than a few times before they started to notice the serious depletion of blood. She knew he wouldn't be back till night. He had been here for months, he would have to drive a decent distance to find others.

"Your still here." He says after putting the blood in the fridge and making his way to the bed. She's not sure if he's trying to start a real conversation or if he's just in the mood to fight with her.

"Damon?"

"Elena." He replies back with a condecending tone.

"Have a lost you forever?" He looks at her intently, and she can see his resistance crumble. His eyes are soft, and all of his sarcastic tendenices disappear.

"Elena..." His voice softens, and she prepares herself.

"No. It's okay. I can handle it."

"Yes, you have lost me forever." Her head drops at the framilliar words and she nods. He knows that tears are going to fall from her eyes soon so he speaks up quickly. "But I lost you forever too, and look how that turned out." He continues and she looks up confused and with tear filled eyes as he expected.

"What?"

"I lost you forever, you told me that once too, turns out forever isn't very long when it comes to us. We just can't seem to hate each other for that long. Elijah told me something."

"What did he tell you?" She asks in a shaky voice.

"When I forced my blood on you, before the sacrifice, he said that you will never forgive me, and never for a vampire is a very long time."

"But Damon, I do forgive you. I did a long time ago."

"I know. That's why I'm telling you this. We go against the grain. We should hate each other, but we forgive each other and move on instead. We are the exception to every rule."

"I'm confused. Have I lost you forever or not?"

"I wanted to hate you for being with Stefan, even though I left you two to be together. You didn't put up that much of a fight, and I know how you don't like to hurt anyone so I just let go for you. So you didn't have to feel bad. I thought it was what you really wanted."

"But it wasn't."

"I didn't know that, I thought you were just being you, worried about everyones feelings. Then you show up here. When you should have been with Stefan, and you didn't want to leave. You wanted to be here. I'm not use to being wanted. I'm usually second best. I just don't know Elena."

"But you'll try?"

"I'll try."

"That's all I'm asking. We try to fix what's broke."

"And if we can't?"

"I don't know. But I'm not going to think about that. I just want to get some sleep. I'm tired."

"Why did you wait up then?"

"I was worried about you. I couldn't sleep untill you were home safe."

"This isn't home Elena."

"I know where home is Damon, and it's with you. Where ever you are is home."

He looks at her like she has multiple heads.

Then he wonders if she hit her head. Maybe she really had lost her mind.

She smiles and takes pleasure that she has rendered Damon Salvatore speechless.

He climbs into bed and turns out the light, and she does the same.

She wishes that he would hold her like he use to, but she won't push. She's just glad they made some headway.

He was her home. He repeats the words over and over in his head.

What he does next suprises them both.

It's as if he can read her mind. That thought is comforting to her.

He pulls her to him. He wraps his arms around her. He really can't believe he went this long with out touching her.

She leans into him, and gets as close to him as possible.

Her smell is intoxicating to him, the way his name sounds comming from her, the way she fits in his arms like she was molded for him and he wonders how he survived this long with out having her with him.

She had only been here a little over a week and he felt more whole than he had for seven months without her. He thought foolishly he would be okay with out her. How wrong he was.

It's the best night sleep both of them has since their last night together all those months ago.

_She crawls into Damon's bed as she had been doing for the last few months. She leans into his arm and he holds onto her tightly. placing a kiss on her forehead._

_"You okay Damon?"_

_"Remember when ghostly Uncle Mason was here?"_

_"Yeah. He's not back is he?"_

_"No, but when he was Mason told me he didn't need revenge, he needed redemption. If he's right and if nothing else matters-"_

_"What Damon? If nothing else matters what?" She lifts herself up so she can see into his soulful eyes._

_"You are my redemption Elena." He tells her brushing his fingers across her cheek. He knows his eyes are betraying how much he feels right now. How he's scared to lose her, scared to keep her._

_"You don't need me for redemption. Your doing fine." She tries to reassure him, as she knows only she can._

_"Without you I wouldn't be."_

_"Don't say that." He pushes himself up and she sits up further still facing him. He's leaning against the head board and he's fighting a battle in his head. She can see it._

_"It's true. And it's also selfish. If I can't do right by you, the person that brought me back to life, who I love more than my own life. Then I'm a lost cause. I've spent so many years trying to get revenge on Stefan, for what? For him to sacrifice his life to save the brother he loves? The same brother that hated him for so many years."_

_"You don't hate him Damon."_

_"I thought I did."_

_"Just as you are Stefan's humanity he is yours."_

_"You are my humanity."_

_"So is Stefan. You love me, but you love him too. You love wth everything you have Damon. Everything you do, everything you are is from the way you love. It makes you who you are."_

_"You always see the good in me. If I really wanted to do something to redeem myself it would be to walk away from you. Let you live in peace. I don't want to destroy you." His words make her feel warm all over, the love he has for her is undoubetly earth shattering._

_"No. You won't. All you do is save me. You help me keep my sanity in check. I don't want you to go. And if you do leave for such a dumb reason I'll never forgive you for it." She knows he doesn't want to be Stefan's replacement and she doesn't want that either. She needs to show him. She moves onto him and straddles him. Needless to say he's suprised at the gesture._

_"Why won't you let me go, Elena?" _

_"Because I can't lose you. Don't you get it? I don't want you to not be in my life. Its better with you in it, but if you don't want to be here I won't beg you to stay. Just don't use me as an excuse. It's always been real with us, I want to keep it that way." She's still scared that maybe he'd want to leave too, afterall she isn't sold on being a vampire, and who wants to wait for something that may never happen?_

_"Hey. Stop. With you is the only place I want to be." His words stop the panic her heart is in from his earlier words and leans down to him. Her lips hovering above his._

_"Elena, think about what your doing. If you start this there is no stoping. No going back." He tucks her hair behind her ears, and moves his hands to cup her face._

_"Finally. No going back. Best thing I heard in a long time. Only forward."_

_He pulls her to him, and when their lips meet they know that this is right, because it feels so good. Nothing has ever felt better, they both know that nothing ever will._


	5. Chapter 5

_A few weeks after Damon left..._

_"Do you think he's okay Stefan?"_

_"He's Damon. Of course he's okay."_

_"He won't return our phone calls. How can we be so sure?"_

_"He talks to Ric a few times a week."_

_"I didn't know that." Ric hadn't told me. Did Damon not want her to know anything about him? She makes a mental note to talk to Ric about that when she gets home._

_"Where do you think he is?"_

_"Never know. He will go somewhere that reminds him of something good. That's all I know, but I know Damon, and when he leaves he doesn't want to be found by anyone."_

_It dawned on her. Something good. Georgia. Damon loved her, and Georgia was where everything really started for them. That had to be where he went. No one else would think of it but her. That's where he would go so if she needed him for a vampire problem she would still be able to find him._

_"Anyone but me." She barely mumbles, and of course Stefan hears her. Damn_

_"What?"_

_"Nothing. Just thinking out loud." She knew where Damon was, and she knew she was going to be the one to bring him home._

_The night before Elena tried to leave..._

_"Where were you?" Stefan embraces her in his arms, and she can't find it in her to do it back._

_"With Ric."_

_"You look tired. Lets go to bed." His face holds a worried look. As if he knows she's thinking about Damon._

_"Stefan, I can't."_

_"Why not?"_

_"We both know the answer to that."_

_"You love him?"_

_"Yes."_

_"Why?"_

_"I love him because of everything he is, and isn't. I understand why you left me, I understand why he left me. I thought I was going to break when you left, or when you were tormenting me, but I held it together. I had to get out of bed, smile, to be me, and the worst part is that it wasn't that hard. Damon being gone is breaking me in half. I'm so sorry Stefan, but I just can't pretend anymore. You deserve better, and so does Damon. Deep down you know that."_

_"Do you remember the day that I told you about Damon's werewolf bite?"_

_"Yes."_

_"I knew then."_

_"I didn't even know then."_

_"Maybe you didn't want to admit it or acknowledge it, but you felt it. I told you I had to go to Klaus, even though you knew I could get killed-"_

_"I never wanted that Stefan."_

_"I know you didn't. You didn't want me to die, you knew the risks, but you needed him to live."_

_"I'm so sorry."_

_"It's okay. I forgive you. Everything will be fine."_

_"Wait...what?"_

_"It's okay that you love Damon. It doesn't matter. We can still make this work. Damon isn't here anymore. You'll forget about him. He's not here to get in the way anymore. We can get past this."_

_"No Stefan. I tried. I can't."_

_"Elena, I need you. He doesn't. I can't do this without you."_

_"You have to learn. You did it before."_

_"Before I met you. Before I knew what being with you was like. You make me happy. You make me want to be better."_

_"Funny. Damon said those same words. I made him want to be better. There's a difference though Stefan. I wanted to make Damon a better man, but he did it all on his own. That's what you need to do. On your own. I can't do it for you. Damon made the choices to do things differently, that's how you do it. Choose different. Do it because of you."_

_"You can't leave me."_

_"Don't make this any harder than it is."_

_"I won't lose you to my brother. You will regret even thinking this."_

_Before I can even speak Stefan is gone, and who knows what he could be doing. I quickly call Caroline, and bring my bags in from the car. I couldn't leave Stefan so broken. He was just getting somewhat back to normal. I just had to hope that Damon would still be there. I would fix this mess, and then I would go to Damon._

Here they sit. Elena on the bed. Damon on the couch.

She tries to think of the best way to start. She has no clue what his reaction will be to her revelation.

He sits pensive, waiting for her to talk. Always waiting for her.

"I love you Elena, and it's because I love you that I can't be selfish with you. Why you can't know this. I don't deserve you, but my brother does. God, I wish you didn't have to forget this, but you do."

"I thought I got lucky and all since you technically died, and came back to life."

"I still died."

"Why wait so long to tell me?"

"Because it was sacred to you. Your voice, your face was so broken. It was special to you. We hurt each other so much, and I didn't want that moment to be ruined."

"Your telling me now because?"

"Because it's time we hashed everything out. I want you to know, that it was so special to me too. I can't even be mad that you compelled me, because it was just so damn selfless."

He sits in silence processing everything she said. He wants to be angry with her, and for some unknown reason he just can't be.

If he can't find the anger he'll fake it. It should not be this easy for her to make things okay. They shouldn't forgive each other like they do.

The difference between them is that one day he knows she will give up him. He would never give up on her.

"You want to hash things out? Well great. Lets start. You have skrewed with my feelings since I first met you. Always telling me to be better, not to do things, and expecting me to listen, because you are asking it. I'm not a trained dog. You can't control me."

He walks out on her, knowing he shouldn't. But there was only so much you can change a man.

And old habbits die hard.

He comes back hours later.

She's tucked into bed, on her side.

He's quite, but they both know he knows she's awake.

She doesn't dare to turn to look at him, he would instantly know she's been crying.

He feels like shit for going off on her. She didn't deserve it, then again she didn't deserve most of what he did to her.

"I can smell the salt from your tears."

She doesn't answer him.

He's afraid that in the end he will break her, and he can't survive that. He loves her to much. He needs to tell her. She deserves to know why he pushes her away.

"I meant what I said. I don't deserve you. I never did. How you love me I will never understand. You deserve more than me, you always have. I'll just end up destroying you."

"That's not true Damon. How can you destroy what you save?"

"What if one day I do something that even you can't forgive."

"Then I'll forgive you anyway. You'll forgive me, I'll forgive you, and just as you save me, I will save you."

_"Damon you can't save everyone."_

_"Why don't you hate me? I almost killed Jeremy. I did kill Vicky. Blondie too, I fed off of her, I almost killed Tyler, I fed you my blood against your will. Jenna is dead because of me."_

_"No Damon. You did horrible things, and we got lucky with Jer, I don't know what would have happened if he did die, but it didn't come to that. You saved Caroline and Tyler from the sacrifice, and Caroline is okay, your blood saved her, this life is good for her. You helped Bonnie trick Klaus, you hate her, yet you still helped her. You are in no way responsible for Jenna's death. Klaus choose to turn her and kill her. We couldn't have never predicted that. And I forgive you for everything because I love you."_

_"You shouldn't say things you don't mean Elena."_

_"I say alot of things I don't mean, but this is not one of them. I mean it more than I've ever meant anything Damon. You always put me above yourself. If it meant saving me you would give me up. Knowing you love me so much that you would do anything to try and give me whatever it was I needed, or you thought I needed. That is what cancels out the hurt."_


	6. Chapter 6

_"How are you Elena?"_

_"Fine."_

_"You are such a bad liar. This is me, Caroline, one of your best friends, you can trust me. So why don't we try again?"_

_"Everything is fine. That is the truth. Everyone is safe. No more scary psycho vampires." She needs Caroline to read between the lines. _

_"What you really mean is no more scary psycho Damon."_

_She doesn't even bother to hide it. She needs to talk about it. So she simply nods._

_"I knew it. The day he left a part of you left with him. Why can't you just admit it out loud? And why is it always such a struggle? It is so obvious how you feel yet you still deny it, although you did admit it once. I commend you for that by the way. You need to face it Elena, what you feel is not going anywhere. I've seen you try to push it away but it's not working. It's going to destroy you, and it's probably destroying Damon. You need to accept it, and do something about it."_

_"Why is it that you are the one to point out all these things out about Damon and I?" I can't help but smile. It feels so good to finally talk about this._

_"Because I get it. He's done some mesed up shit but you obviously need him Elena. You more than miss him as a friend, and you are sitting here doing everything but what you want. I can't help you if you, no one can if you won't even help yourself."_

_"I tried doing what I wanted and look what happened."_

_"Stefan went off the deep end again. This is what the fourth of fifth time it happened? Get use to it. You are not responsible for everyones actions."_

_"What gives me any right to go after him? I'm the reason he left, why he won't come back."_

_"Look, sometimes when Damon tries to do the right thing it's wrong. Sometimes he gets lucky and it's not, but this wasn't one of those times. And I'm telling you, you will be sorry if you don't go after him."_

_"Thank you Care, for standing by me through everything. Especially now, I know Damon isn't your favorite person." I hug her tightly. _

_"No, but you are one of my favorite people. And I'll give credit where it's due. If he didn't give me his blood I could be dead, and he did save me and Tyler from being sacrificed."_

_"It's just...he deserves to feel more than second best. He's going to think I couldn't make it work with Stefan so that's why I went to him."_

_"We know that's not true. You just have to make Damon believe it. Your word is almost like God to him. Just try."_

_"I just might, but don't say anything about this to anyone."_

_"Promise."_

"There's something I have to tell you." He says as soon as she steps out of the bathroom from her shower.

"What?" She asks afraid of what he's going to say.

"I slept with Katherine."

"When?" She sits next to him on the bed and tries to not to show how _devestated_ she is. _Katherine._ Of all people was what made it so awful. Was this how he felt about her and Stefan? The thought makes her feel more guilty.

"A few times the past few months."

"Why?"

"Who, what, where, when, why? All the same Elena. You. It always comes back to you."

"You brought her here? To _our_ place? Did you have sex with her in _our_ bed?" She questions, as he downs his drink.

"No, Elena. I did not bring her here. I had sex with her at her hotel, in the alley. That's all it was and that's about all Katherine deserves. I would _never_ bring her here. She was here and she reminded me of you. It was the closest thing to you I had."

"No, here was."

"I needed you because I loved you. And I couldn't have you, so I indulged, sue me."

"So who's the replacement Damon, me or her?" She cringes, hearing this makes her question if he still loves Katherine.

"Don't try and patronize me Elena, you know the answer."

"Do I?"

"If you don't then your an idiot."

"That's mature."

"I never loved you because you looked like her. And I sure as hell don't love her at all anymore. I just needed a few minutes to pretend." She can understand he needed to pretend, it still doesn't stop how she feels. She couldn't give him anything else with Stefan back so he took what he could get from Katherine. It breaks her heart.

Elena nods her head, puts her shoes on and picks up her bag and walks to the door.

"That's great. Leave." She knows he's trying to be harsh, but she also knows he's scared if she walks out the door she might not come back. Elena turns to face him with tear filled eyes.

"That would be very Damon of me wouldn't it? I'm not leaving you Damon. I just need some air. I need to call Caroline. I need to go for a walk."

"Elena." She can hear the apology in his voice, but right now she has to go before she starts to cry.

He can see the pain in her eyes, the hurt over her face, and he hates that he's the cause of it.

_"You were obsessed with me Damon, but you never loved me with this conviction. Your pretending I'm her. I don't get it Damon, why?"_

_"Really Katherine?"_

_"Indulge me." She shrugs her shoulders as she puts the rest of her clothing back on._

_"I did love you, but not the way I love her. Your love ruined my brother and I. I guess in a twisted way I should thank you, without turning I would have never knew her. It's because you wanted to destroy the good in me, she wants to give it life. That's why Katherine."_

Elena comes back right as it starts to get dark. Damon was minutes from going out to look for her. She looks calm, and he's so relieved that she's okay, that she came back, he takes her in his arms and holds her tightly.

"I'm sorry Elena."

"I get it Damon, I just don't like it." She wraps her arms around his waist and envelops the comfort he's giving her.

"But you don't. Your doubting that I love you. I saw it in your eyes."

"I know you love me, but I also know how much you loved her. You doubt that I love you, as I say I do. We both have our demons."

"How do we get rid of them?"

"Maybe we never will."

"Doomed from the start, huh?" She pulls back to look him in the eyes. She needs him to see her, she was not giving up.

"What? No, Damon. You love with abandon. Love is your stength."

"And my weakness."

"The way you love is what I love most about you." She smiles at him, but she can sense that he's unsure.

"Are you going to leave me?" She's surprised that the thought would even go through his head. She has forgiven him for much worse, but now she knows this is her chance to stand with him, not just near him anymore.

"Never. I made the mistake of letting you leave for so long. I will never leave you again." As she recites his words verbatum, she can see his features relax. "We will figure things out together."

"Together." Damon tells her as he pulls her towards the bed, and captures her lips with his.


End file.
